This is so cool! Watch this video of a kayaker getting an up close and personal view of a curious blue whale! Link – You may have seen this already as I think it went viral, but the whale really seems to be checking out the kayaker!

The last several years we’ve been here in Alamitos Bay we have had a visiting sea lion every now and then. My mom in Arizona calls him “her seal” because we first saw him when she was visiting us. She always asks if we’ve seen him lately. We went for a long time without seeing him – once or twice a year. Today he was sunning himself on the breakwater. He didn’t seem to care at all that boaters were going by him all the time. This Google map has a red star in the center – the sea lion was on the breakwater just below the star – on the thin line jutting in the water. You can drag the map up and around so you can see how he made his way up to the houses from the ocean near Seal Beach. Here are some pictures I took of him this morning.

The Houses are all around this area of the Alamitos Bay. The sea lion is on the breakwater in the middle of the photo.

A dragon boat crew practices their rowing while the sea lion stretches out on the breakwater.

The sea lion sits up to watch the jetskier as the jetskier watches him.

This dragon boat crew is also so intent on rowing that they don’t see the sea lion either. But he’s laid back down again.

Kayakers go in for a closer look.

Time for him to check out what is going on.

The sea lion turns over on his side.

He stayed and napped for quite a while. Then he quietly slipped back into the water. Later this evening he was back on the breakwater. One of the boat owners we talked to when we took the photos this morning said the sea lion has been hanging around more in the last five days…..

Summer days at the lake were always memorable! The August 2009 Sunset Magazine has two articles about lakes: Lake Tahoe – where Sand Harbor is the place to swim – and then the Top 10 Lakeside Camps – the on-line article has 15, including the best photo ops, sunsets, fun, small town feel, and four-star food!

Available June 22-August 21
$180/week or $680 for four weeks
Prices include all field trips

Each week has a different ocean related theme and is filled with projects, crafts, and aquatic fun designed to promote ocean sciences and conservation. Campers will enjoy weekly field trips, kayaking, snorkeling, an expedition aboard the Long Beach Marine Institute research vessel and lots more!

Junior Oceanographer Teen Camp for Ages 13-16
This oceanography and marine science camp is created for teens enthusiastic about learning and exploring our marine environment. Campers will have the opportunity to participate in oceanographic research and exploration while they live aboard the Research Vessel Conqueror. This week long excursion will allow campers to discover marine habitats along our coast and on Catalina Island. This camp will better acquaint students with the basic elements of geology, physics, chemistry, and biology. Hands-on activities such as snorkeling, kayaking and dissections are utilized to conduct investigations to re-enforce concepts learned. ** Inquire about school credit!

There is a new Whitewater Park at Rock Park in Sparks, NV. Now there is quite the rapids to get through if you start at Reno and float your way down to Sparks on the Truckee River! Overcoming early obstacles, the revamping of the river at Rock Park is the start of river restoration that’s taking place. More info is here.